Colin Hanks' Incredibly Beautiful Story About Luke Perry Becomes Everyone's Favorite
Beverly Hills, 90210 and Riverdale actor Luke Perry died on March 4 after suffering a massive stroke on February 27.
Many celebrities including Lili Reinhart, Molly Ringwald, and Charlie Sheen paid tribute to the late star on social media.
Fellow actor Colin Hanks shared a sweet story on Instagram to honor the "true gent."
Following the tragic death of Luke Perry, some of Hollywood's biggest names shared the impact that the late actor had on their life. And while many people reminisced about his beloved 90210 character Dylan McKay, it was the behind the scenes moments that captured who the 52-year-old really actor was. For actor Colin Hanks, his most memorable moment with Perry was on a flight back from Mexico.
A post shared by Colin Hanks (@colinhanks) on Mar 4, 2019 at 6:34pm PST
In a now-viral Instagram post, the Life in Pieces star shared a touching (read: seriously emotional) story about the late actor.
I only met him once but the story is too good not tell given todays sad events. My wife and I are on a plane back from Mexico. Couple of rows ahead of us, these two brothers, young kids, are beating the hell out of each other. Their poor parents are powerless to stop the crying, yelling and screaming. If you're a parent you understand. Sometimes there's nothing you can do. It was like this for close to two hours. Then about 10 minutes before landing it starts to get real bad. Out of no where, a man comes from first class. Hat, beard, sunglasses, blowing up a balloon. He ties it off, hands it off like he's holding out a sword to a king. Kneeling, Head down, arms up. Kids calm down in milliseconds. Plane damn near bursts into applause. 15 minutes longer and it probably would have started WWIII, but we landed before that could happen. We get off the plane, are waiting on line in customs. Finally get a good look at the guy and I say to my wife "Holy shit. I think that balloon man/hero" is Luke Perry". As luck would have it we end up standing next to each other. Out of the blue he turns to me and says some kind words about Fargo, which kinda blew my mind. I start singing his praises about how long I've admired him and also about the move with the balloon. "That's a pro move! You can't teach that!" I say. He tells me he always flies with a couple of balloons for that very reason, to give to screaming kids. Don't know if that's true, but have no reason to believe it wasn't. Guy seemed like a true gent. Gone way too damn soon. Also, I'll be damned if I don't start traveling with some spare balloons.
The post received outpouring condolences from so many famous faces. Of course, step-mom Rita Wilson was one of the first to respond: "What a great story about a clearly lovely man," she wrote.
Rest in the sweetest peace, Luke Perry. You will be so, so missed. #CommentsByCelebs
A post shared by Comments By Celebs (@commentsbycelebs) on Mar 4, 2019 at 7:59pm PST
Hanks wasn't the only person who had similar feelings about Perry: "This is heartbreaking and so sweet... not at all surprising knowing the kind of guy Luke was. And I will never fly without a couple balloons again... and I will always think of Luke and you for sharing this amazing story," actor Chad Lowe commented.
His "pro move" with red balloons makes perfect sense: Perry understood the struggle on traveling with kids because he was a father himself. He had a son Jack, 21, and daughter, Sophie 18, with ex-wife Rachel “Minnie” Sharp. "Luke loved his family. He raved about his kids and how proud he was of them. He showed me videos of the often,” former co-star Shannen Doherty told People. "They were his heart and for him, his biggest accomplishment."
Tori Spelling, another Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star, shared a similar message about Perry's children in an exclusive statement to People: "I’m in utter shock and heartbroken. I’m saddened for his kids whom he adored beyond words. He was so proud of Jack and Sophie. Luke was one of the kindest and most humble human beings I’ve ever known. I’m grateful for the years of friendship we had. He truly was family to me, a protector and a brother. I’m so sorry for the loss that everyone is experiencing."
Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.??
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